The American Football League of China Is Underway

The first week of the 2015 American Football League of China (AFLC) season is in the books in China with eight of the 10 teams in action.

Watch the highlights below!

AFLC North

Shanghai Nighthawks 35 – Shanghai Titans 12

After allowing the Titans to race out to a 12-0 lead on a fumble returned for a touchdown by Matt Smith and a short touchdown toss from quarterback Taylor Yu to wideout Frank Ma, the Nighthawks settled down and gradually took over the game. Their double wing offense took control carving out huge chunks of rushing yardage against a Titans squad that had no answer. Nighthawks running back Tianshou Zhang led all rushers with 162 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns, and the Nighthawks scored 35 unanswered points to close out the game in punishing fashion, having only attempted three passes all game. Zhehao Sun added 79 yards on 6 carries for the visiting Nighthawks with two touchdowns, while Jerry Zhang compiled 147 all-purpose yards for the 0-1 Titans.

Chengdu Pandamen 6 – Chongqing Dockers 0

A late fourth quarter rushing touchdown was enough for Chengdu to sneak by the host Dockers in their first-ever AFLC contest. On the ensuing possession, facing fourth down, Dockers quarterback Hao Lu mishandled the ball on an attempted play-action fake with running back Shan Qing, and fell on the ball, turning it over to the Pandamen, who ran out the clock to complete the upset victory.

AFLC South

Hong Kong Cobras 17 – Guangzhou South China Tigers 0

Played in a downpour in Guangzhou, the visiting Cobras suffocated the Tigers on defense, forcing two interceptions and two fumbles. A 20-yard field goal by Thomas Man, Ben Wong’s 7-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown, and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Elias Hammiche to Jon Dwyer rounded out the scoring for the Cobras, in what was a sloppy game, thanks in part to the weather.

Hong Kong Warhawks 68 – Hong Kong Combat Orcas 0

The AFLC’s other newcomer, the Hong Kong Combat Orcas, did not fare as well as their mainland counterpart, as the Warhawks bullied their way to the third-highest single game point total in AFLC history. The Warhawks offense was led by quarterback Jason Yeung, but it was their ground game that did most of the damage against the inexperienced Orcas, and the win gives them momentum heading into a tough matchup with the previously idle Guangzhou Apaches.

Danny Zhang is a Chinese-American college student who grew up playing American football in the Boston area. He has a keen interest in the development of the sport in China, where he has recently studied, worked, and experienced football’s rapid growth firsthand.